With a Little Help
by megaera211
Summary: An unexpected visit from an old friend reveals more of Elias' background to Chise. May contain spoilers.
1. Chapter 1 - Pocket Full of Rye

_Spoiler Note: This story is based on the three manga volumes already out in Japan, so if you have only read the first volume in English there will be some spoilers. The events occur after Chapter 19._

 _Disclaimer: All characters, trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective author, trademark and copyright holders._

"Come on Ruth," called out Chise, "lets go." Grabbing a basket and her canteen, the pair was just about to head outdoors when Miss Silky held out a lunch bag. "Oh, thanks," smiled Chise as Ruth grabbed the bag in his mouth. "We'll be sure to pick a lot of mushrooms today!"

Elias watched from the living room window as the pair walked down the lane toward the forest. Suddenly, a broom in the corner fell over. ' _Mmm…_ ' thought the Mage, ' _it appears a visitor is coming today._ '

Both Chise and Ruth were enjoying the fresh spring morning. The pair turned off the lane and took a narrow footpath into the forest. Under the trees the air was cool and clean, dew clung to the ferns and grasses giving the forest a light shimmer in the morning sunshine. As they made their way through the trees towards a small verdant glade, Chise could hear someone singing: _"Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye, four and twenty black birds baked into a pie…"_

As they walked into a clearing, kneeling in the middle of the long grasses and plants was a slim woman with long black hair and russet colored skin. The woman wore a red and white flannel button-up shirt, denim jeans, and a cowboy hat. Braided into her hair was a thin beaded rope with a couple of orange and yellow feathers. Seeing the pair, she stopped singing and stood up and waved.

"Good morning," said the woman in a friendly tone as she walked towards them. "My name is Maria Lozen." Chise could feel Ruth's wariness toward the stranger as his body became tense. Up close she noticed the woman appeared young and her almond shaped eyes were gold with some orange specks.

"Oh, uh, my name is Chise Hatori," said the young girl, surprised to see someone in this isolated glade.

"How do you do?" asked Maria. "It's a pleasure to meet the Thorn Mage's apprentice," then she winked at the large black dog, "and her familiar."

"Somehow it seems like the whole world knows about that," mumbled Chise.

Laughing Maria replied, "The magical community is small now a days so news travels quickly." When she smiled Chise saw she had a one-sided dimple and white, even teeth.

"Err, so you know Elias?" asked Chise slightly dazed at Maria's beautiful face.

"Yes, I consider him an old friend," replied Maria nodding her head. "I was on my way to his home when I got distracted by the purple thistle and mugwort in this glade." The woman opened her leather shoulder bag and revealed a variety of herbs and plants. "I'm a mage who specializes in healing and a lot of these plants don't grow where I'm from."

"Well, Elias should be home today if you're planning on visiting with him," replied Chise adjusting the basket on her arm. Ruth noticed the traveler's face softened when Chise said the word home.

"Are you gathering today?" asked Maria gesturing at the basket.

"Yes, I was going to pick some mushrooms," answered Chise.

"Ooh, wild mushrooms are just what I need!" exclaimed Maria cheerfully. "Do you mind if I come with you?"

"Not at all," said Chise. She could feel Ruth's exasperation at letting a stranger come with them into the woods.

' _It'll be okay_ ,' thought Chise, ' _she seems nice enough_.' Ruth just flicked his tail smartly in response.

"Great! You lead and I'll follow," said Maria happily.

As Chise lead the way further into the forest, Maria chatted congenially alongside her, "I heard on the wind that Elias gained a new apprentice. Which was a happy coincidence because I had been meaning to make the journey to England for a while now."

The trio began hiking up a gently sloped hill. "Where do you live?" asked Chise.

"I live in the American Southwest," answered Maria. "It's a Sonoran desert so not too many traditional herbs and medicinal plants grow there. Unlike England where everything is green and squashy."

"I don't think I've ever seen a desert," said Chise thoughtfully.

"Some people think it's barren and ugly but I love it," said Maria warmly. "I love the wide open land and beautiful blue skies. I love how the rocky landscape changes colors throughout the day. I even love the heat!"

The slope leveled off and the group walked into a little clearing that had tall grasses and some fallen logs. "This is usually where we gather morel mushrooms," said Chise gesturing around them.

"Hey, I found one!" said Maria reaching down for a yellow, honeycombed shaped mushroom. "How many do you need to gather?"

"Hmm…about twenty or so," replied Chise.

"Okay," said Maria putting the mushroom she found in Chise's basket, "I don't need that much, maybe about ten." Smiling she said, "Well, let's get to work!"

The two ladies set about looking for mushrooms. Ruth stood guard silently next to Chise, keeping an eye on the traveler. Maria seemed not to notice the familiar's watchful gaze and instead was absent-mindedly humming to herself as she searched through the grasses. Somehow the atmosphere felt calm and both the apprentice and her familiar began to slowly relax.

After a couple of hours Chise had filled her basket. She looked around and saw Maria sitting on a fallen log, basking in the sun. Ruth was also sitting nearby. Grabbing her basket she walked over.

"Hey," greeted Maria, "it looks like we picked what we needed." Nodding in agreement, Chise sat down next to her. "So how's your magical education going?"

Thinking for a moment Chise answered, "I think it's going okay. There's a lot to learn but right now I'm learning about medicines and basic enchantments."

"I see," said Maria. "And what of Elias, how're things going with him?"

"Um, we're doing okay," stuttered Chise slightly embarrassed. "We get along."

"So no big arguments or fights?" asked Maria with slight amusement. Chise shook her head. "That's good he can be pretty stubborn. You know I remember once, and I can't recall what started it, but Elias and I got into a huge argument that led into us shouting at each other. It ended when I accidentally set him on fire."

"I see," said Chise in surprise as she watched Maria laugh at the memory.

Suddenly, Maria's stomach growled. "Oh," she exclaimed putting hand over her abdomen, "Sorry about that! I didn't have breakfast this morning."

"Oh, well, would you like to share our lunch?" asked Chise reaching for the lunch bag Ruth brought over.

"Are you sure?" asked Maria.

"Yeah," answered Chise opening the bag, "the Silver Lady usually gives us large portions." She pulled out two Cornish pasties and handed Maria one.

"Thank you," said Maria with a smile, "I really appreciate this." Unwrapping the wax paper she took a bite. "Wow, Silky really knows how to bake a delicious beef pasty."

"You know Miss Silky, too?" asked Chise as she gave Ruth half her pasty.

Nodding Maria replied, "Yes, we share recipes and she let's me know how Elias is doing."

Chise thoughtfully nibbled on her food, "Can I ask how you met Elias?"

"Of course," said Maria, "it's kind of a long story is that alright? Chise nodded her head. "Well, it began when I fell into darkness."

 _Author's Note: I have been enjoying the manga so far, especially watching the relationship between Elias and Chise. Like the mangaka, I am also a huge fan of fairy tales and folklore. I hope to incorporate or refer to some American Indian stories in this tale._


	2. Chapter 2 - Through the Darkest Valley

"So I told you I was from America," began Maria. Chiese nodded her head. "I had been living in that region since 'time immemorial' as the first people of that land say. I am a healer or medicine woman for those first peoples and their generations that came after. While I lived with those tribes and followed their customs and traditions, I also kept my distance."

The visitor adjusted her hat and remarked quietly, "Perhaps that separation is the natural role between mages and humans."

"However, there was one family or clan that I grew close to," continued Maria with a sad smile. "They adopted me and treated me like one of them; they taught me the joy of having a human family. Unfortunately a sudden illness caused their deaths and I was left alone. At the time it felt like one day of tragedy overcame years of happiness."

"I tried to come to terms with my loss and grief but I couldn't. It even began affecting my magic. I could no longer perform healing spells. As a result, the tribe I had lived alongside for years became suspicious of me. They thought I might have caused the sickness that took my family and asked me to leave. In my despair, I decided to lose myself in the darkness."

"The darkness?" asked Chiese.

"Yes," replied the healer. "Towards the west are sacred mountains of the first people where many spirits and inhuman beings live. However, there is one passage that will take you from this world to the first world. It's supposed to be a land of darkness and oblivion. I naively desired forgetfulness so I began walking."

"I hiked through the high desert and up the mountain summit for three days. On the fourth day I came upon a narrow crevasse in the rock face that had an eerie presence. The color of the stone walls was dark with black and gray bands. As I slowly walked inward I noticed there was no vegetation and it had an unnatural quietness.

"At the end of the path I entered a cave. At the mouth it was silent and chilly. The further I walked in the colder it became. I also noticed that the darkness seemed to change: it took on a heaviness that began to weigh on me. I had a hard time moving my arms and legs, almost as if I was trying to walk through water. As I struggled to move forward, I thought I could hear low whispers echoing around me.

"Suddenly, the atmosphere grew extremely oppressive and I became paralyzed. I had started to choke for air when I lost my footing. I lurched forward expecting my knees to hit the ground but instead there was nothing. I must have fallen into a side tunnel because I continued to fall into a seemingly black abyss."

Maria paused in her story and looked up at the sunny blue sky. Chiese noticed that as she described the cave, she unconsciously crossed her arms and hugged herself as if she were cold. After a while the visiting mage began to relax and continued, "The next thing I remember was waking up in a tent..."

 _= = England (the past) = =_

"Are you awake?" asked an unknown voice in a calm tone. The voice was male, with a light baritone timbre.

"Yes," replied Maria feeling an overwhelming sense of relief at being out of the darkness. She saw she was in a simple tent; a black cloak covered her body. She could still feel the cold but it felt normal. In the background she could hear a campfire burning and see the light of the fire on the tent walls. Sitting up she asked, "Where am I? How did I get here?"

There was a brief pause before the voice said, "I was traveling along the dark path when I came across your body. Nothing exists in that shadowy world for long so I picked you up and brought you to my camp."

Maria reflected on this answer. She didn't recall seeing anyone or anything in the cave, just a suffocating darkness. "What's the dark path?"

"It's a magical path that is veiled from the human world," explained the voice. "Certain routes can take you far distances very quickly, but most mages and spirits avoid it because of its negative energy."

"I see," said Maria. "So you're a mage too?"

"Yes."

"Can I come out of the tent?" The young woman was curious as to why the speaker was keeping himself hidden from her view.

"Yes," said the voice cautiously, "however my appearance is not…normal." Curious, Maria made her way toward the entrance of the tent and slowly exited. She stepped out of the tent and saw an unusual being clothed in black sitting near the campfire. He was tall with a horned skull and red irises; he was lean, with long limbs and had claw-like hands and feet.

The creature in front of her was unlike anything she had encountered before. He didn't seem aggressive or frightening; in fact he was staring at her curiously too. Feeling no threat, Maria looked away and saw she was in a forest at night. The small campsite had a fire and a tent, but not much else. It was quiet but she could hear in the distance an unusual noise, almost like the waters of lake but much louder.

As she looked around, the dark mage took in his guest's appearance. She wore a long doeskin dress and boots. The dress was decorated around the collar with a floral motif in colorful beads of red, blue, yellow, and white. Her hair and skin were darker than the humans he had encountered previously. He found the woman's dark eyes entrancing with glints of gold. He could discern she was still tired: her face was wan and body movement was stiff.

"Would you like something hot to drink?" asked the horned creature.

Looking back at her host, Maria nodded her head, "Yes please." He proceeded to fill a cup from a kettle that sat in the hot coals of the fire. She sat near him and wrapped the black cloak around her.

"How do you feel?" he asked handing her the cup.

"I'm a little sore but I feel fine," replied Maria. She held the cup in her hands, letting the heat seep through her fingers. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About two days," replied the other mage.

"I see," she replied. Gingerly, she took a sip from her cup. The liquid was lightly sweet with a berry flavor. "This is good," she said with a smile, "thank you."

With a nod, the other mage replied, "It's a blackcurrant tea."

The pair sat in silence for a while as Maria finished her drink. The blinding sadness that had surrounded the young woman seemed to have evaporated. With a clear mind she came to the realization that she had truly escaped death. This stranger rescued her, taken care of her, and still continued to show her hospitality. Maria swore to herself that she would find a way to repay him.

When the cup was empty she held it out towards her host. As he reached out to take it from her, their fingers touched. The dark mage looked at the young woman's face to gauge her response. He was surprised to see that her eyes were staring at him with great emotion.

"Thank you," said the young woman, "for rescuing me. I'm very grateful to you."

"You're welcome," he answered.

Releasing the cup, she scooted closer to him and introduced herself, "My name is Maria. I hope we can be friends." She thought she could discern a surprised expression briefly pass in his eyes.

"My name is Elias," said the dark mage. "Yes, I hope we can be friends too."

"You said we were in England?" asked Maria. Elias nodded in response. "I've never been visited these lands before. Do you mind if I travel with you?"

Thinking for a moment before he replied, "No, not at all."


	3. Chapter 3 - Curiouser and Curiouser

After finishing her story of first meeting Elias, Maria looked over at Chiese who was sitting up, leaning a bit towards her, her expression open. Even Ruth was nonchalantly attentive, slightly perking his ears towards the other mage.

"So what happened next?" asked the young apprentice. With a bemused smile the dark hair mage continued her story.

"The next morning we packed up camp and walked out of the forest onto a sandy white beach," said Maria. "We spent all day walking along the beach picking up shells and collecting driftwood. In the afternoon we set up camp and caught some fish for dinner. As evening came on we built a large fire with all the wood we had collected. All day I noticed that Elias kept a distance between us and didn't speak much with me."

= = England (the past) = =

Once the fire had a good blaze going, Maria sat down next to Elias. She purposefully sat close enough so that she was less than an arm's reach away. As a healer, the foreign mage was used to being close to others both physically and emotionally. Maria was curious about her savior and wanted to know more about him.

"Sorry, I'm being stingy with your cloak," said Maria wrapping it around herself. "I guess I'm a bit sensitive to the cold. Where I'm from it doesn't get this cold often."

"That's okay, you're welcome to use it as long as you need," said Elias.

"Thanks. So, where do you come from Elias?" she asked.

The dark mage stared into the fire for a beat before answering, "I don't remember."

"Really?" Maria asked in concern. "That must be difficult." Elias was quiet. When he made no motion to respond, she turned her attention to the starry sky above her.

 _"I really am in a different country,"_ she thought to herself when she didn't recognize many of the constellations in the sky. _"It's like I fell through the earth to the other side."_

The horned mage watched her out of the corner of his eye, much like he had been doing all day. The only other being he had spent any significant time with was Lindel. Aside from their physical differences, Elias noticed that Maria was different from his friend in that she was more open and curious about the things around her.

After a few minutes she glanced over to catch him looking at her. When their eyes met, he quickly looked away. Maria frowned a bit. She had been attempting to engage her new friend all day but with no luck. Deciding on a more direct approach the young woman scooted away from his side so that she was now sitting facing Elias.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" she asked.

"No, but…" Elias looked directly into her eyes, "I'm not used to being around others, particularly females."

"I see," she responded gaining some insight into his lack of communication. "Have you been alone long?"

"Not quite," said the dark mage, "I recently parted with friend. He was also a mage." Maria nodded in response.

"What of you?" asked Elias. "Did you live with others?"

"Yes, I have lived beside humans for as long as I remember," she answered. Even though she didn't feel the previous grief as strongly, Maria's feelings of loss were still strong. Thinking of her adopted family made her throat constrict.

"Were there no mages or spirits were you lived?" he asked.

"No," quickly clearing her throat she continued, "there are many spirits and Gods who reside in the country I'm from. A majority of the spirits either has or can change into animal form," Maria said thoughtfully. "Although, I've never met anyone who looks as you do."

"Nor have I," he replied. They stared at each other for a few minutes, openly assessing and taking in the others appearance. Again, Maria's glittering gold and black eyes drew his attention.

"Elias? Um, do you mind… if I touch you?" the healer asked timidly. He looked with surprise at her slightly blushing face.

"Why?" he asked.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be rude. It's just I've never met anyone like you and I was just curious," Maria explained quickly. "Of course you wouldn't want a stranger pawing at you. Please forget I asked -"

"You're not a stranger," Elias said interrupting her. "We're friends, so yes, you may touch me."

"Okay," she said. "You can tell me to stop at any time, alright?" He nodded in response.

Slowly, Maria got up and kneeled next to him. She reached out her hand to touch his. Elias' large hand was covered with short black fur and his long fingers were tapered at the end like claws. Turning his hand over to his palm, she saw it was similar to a cat's paw with a soft pad. Maria slowly moved her hand up over his clothed arm to his shoulder and was mildly surprised to feel skin and firm muscle underneath his robe. Since his head was skeletal she was expecting the rest of his body to be as well.

Elias was sitting very still, afraid to move in case he scared her. In fact he was barely breathing. Lindel's warning was playing in his mind: _Man can be more fearful or hateful than any animal._ He stared intently at her face looking for any sign of fear or revulsion. However, her expression was calm and her hands were warm and gentle as she examined him.

Moving closer, Maria gently touched his cheek and was surprised. She was expecting it to be like true bone: cool, smooth, and hard to the touch. Instead he was warm and the bone was firm but flexible and had a lightly matte texture. When she caressed his cheek he involuntarily shivered.

The action caused her to stop and look into his eyes. Maria saw that Elias was looking at her apprehensively. Wanting to comfort him she leaned forward and hugged him and said, "It's okay."

The dark mage paused. Her body was small and soft against his and her unusual scent reminded him of flowers and aromatic herbs. Elias didn't know what to make of their closeness. "What are you doing?" he asked his arms still at his side.

The healer leaned back so she could look into his face, "I thought you looked anxious so I decided to hug you."

"What's that?"

"You've never been hugged?" Maria asked in surprise. He shook his head. She dropped her arms from his shoulders and sat back on her knees. "Well… when two humans have a friendly bond they will hug each other. Sometimes it's in greeting or it can be a physical expression of comfort or support."

"I think I understand," replied Elias thoughtfully.

"Did you not like it?" Maria asked.

"I'm not sure," he said hesitantly.

"Oh," she said sitting a little further back. Maria crossed her arms and looked away from him saying, "I'm sorry, I just reacted without thinking. That interaction is common among humans."

The two were silent for a moment before Elias asked, "Can we do it again?" She looked into his face and saw his eyes were alight with curiosity.

"Um, okay," she said. Rising to her knees she came closer to him and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. She was expecting him to do the same but nothing happened. _"He's like a child,"_ Maria thought as she smiled to herself.

"Elias, to hug someone you also need to put your arms around them," she instructed.

"I see," he replied. He gently encircled his arms around her waist. This time he noticed how fragile and warm Maria was; it made him feel some unknown but tender emotion. After a brief moment she slowly pulled away. Elias looked at her with some confusion as he let her go.

"Most hugs are short," she explained sitting back on her knees. "Although depending on the situation it can be longer or the embrace firmer. What did you think? Is hugging still strange to you?" asked Maria.

"No, it… it was okay," Elias answered with some thought. "I never hugged my other friend," he remarked.

"Sometimes males don't hug other males," she said. "It just depends on their relationship and level of affection."

"Hmm…I think I may need to learn more about human customs and greetings. Would you be willing to teach me?"

"Sure," said Maria looking up at Elias with a smile.

= = England (the future) = =

"I think I'll end there for today," said Maria. "It's getting late and I don't want to keep you out after dark."

"Oh, yeah," replied Chise as if in a daze. "I'm sure you must be tired from your long trip."

"Yes," agreed the healer rising from her seat into a stretch. "It'll be nice to rest my weary feet at a friend's door." The women gathered their gear and the group set off down the hill. During the walk back out of the forest the young apprentice was silent.

 _"Of course he would have other friends to help him_ ," Chiese thought to herself, _"but why does this feel different?"_

Maria noticed the subtle change in her companion but kept quiet as Chiese worked out her thoughts and feelings. She herself needed to get her feelings in order. There was something she had to ask Elias but she was afraid the answer would threaten their long friendship.

 _Author's Note: There were many delays in uploading the next chapter. The most significant ones were a slight case of writer's block and losing my plot and character notes. You'd think I'd learn my lesson after losing my notes for The Cat Returns story I was penning. Many thanks for the reviews, they are appreciated._


End file.
